The virulence factors of group A streptococcus strains isolated from invasive and non-invasive infections in Polish and German centres, 2009-2011.

Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) is one of the major human pathogenic bacteria that cause a wide range of diseases. Currently, increased incidence of streptococcal invasive infections is observed worldwide. In this study, we focused on the prevalence of genes encoding superantigens and type M proteins in the population of GAS strains from invasive versus non-invasive infections. We tested 253 GAS strains: 48 strains from patients with invasive infections (18 from wound/deep skin localization, 30 from women in labour) and 205 strains from non-invasive forms (147 from common infections of the upper respiratory, 49 from the vagina of females with genital tract infections and 9 from non-invasive wound and superficial skin infections). Significant differences were found in the occurrence of genes: speG, speI, speJ and smeZ, which were more common in GAS isolated from invasive than from non-invasive strains; speJ and smeZ occurred more frequently in strains from invasive perinatal infections versus strains from women without symptoms of invasive infection; speH and speI in strains from invasive skin/wound infection versus strains isolated from non-invasive wound and superficial skin infections. Emm types 1 and 12 predominated in the group of strains isolated from superficial infections and type 28 in those from puerperal fever. Occurrence of genes encoding virulence factors is common in genomic DNA of most of S. pyogenes, regardless whether these streptococcal infections are invasive or non-invasive. On the other hand, it appears that strains with speG, speI, speJ and smeZ genes may have a particular potential for virulence.

Virulence factors of Streptococcus pyogenes strains from women in peri-labor with invasive infections.

Invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections constitute an important epidemiological problem. Many cases occur in women during the postnatal period. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of the genes responsible for production of iron-chelating protein (perR) and superantigens (speA, speB, speC, speF, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ, and ssa) in S. pyogenes strains isolated from invasive infections in women after delivery. Furthermore, this study sought to verify whether S. pyogenes strains show special phenotypic and genotypic (sla, spy1325) characteristics that may play a decisive role in adherence to the genital tract epithelium. Moreover, the emm-types and antibiotic susceptibility were determined. We tested 30 invasive S. pyogenes strains isolated from postpartum invasive infection and 37 GAS control strains isolated from the genital tracts of asymptomatic multiparous women. The majority of the tested strains were shown to express two types of emm genes (1 and 28), though emm -12, -28, -75 and -89 were uniquely expressed in the group of strains isolated from invasive infections. A significantly higher prevalence of perR in the strains from puerperal fever was shown. Significant differences were also found between the two groups with respect to the incidence of the genes related to adherence; GAS strains originating from women with sepsis/puerperal fever showed presence of these genes less frequently than those of the control group. Although differences in frequencies of the gene coding for various superantigens were noted between the compared groups of GAS strains, they were not significant.

[Precordial mapping of R, S and Q waves in healthy children and in those with heart defects and cardiomyopathies]. / Mapy przedsercowe zalamków R, S i Q u dzieci zdrowych oraz u dzieci zdrowych oraz u dzieci z wadami serca i kardiomiopatiami.

Precordial maps of R, S and Q waves were performed in 43 children with congenital and acquired cardiac defects, with cardiomyopathies and also in 55 healthy children. Two subgroups with the left and right ventricular hypertrophies were separated basing on a standard electrocardiogram. Multilead electrocardiogram (M60--ecg) was recorded from 60 points of a chest wall. Obtained data indicate that a multilead electrocardiogram is useful for ventricular hypertrophy estimation in cardiac defects and cardiomyopathies. Of analyzed R, S and Q waves R wave is essentially important. Different localization and extent of a region of large R wave amplitudes was observed in children with cardiac defects and cardiomyopathies in comparison with healthy persons. Accessory precordial points for R wave registration (besides standard ones) with statistically significant larger R wave amplitude than in healthy children are: A9, A10, B9, B10 for left ventricular hypertrophy assessment and A1, A5, B2, C3, C4, C5, D3, D5, E3, E4, E5, F4 for right ventricular hypertrophy estimation.